Maersk ship targeted by Houthi missile

UKMTO indicated site of attack in post on X [Image: UKMTO]

The Maersk containership Maersk Hamburg has become the third ship in the past few days to be targeted by a Houthi missile attack. Multiple media sources, including the AP, identify the ship and cite an unnamed U.S. official as saying that the missile landed harmlessly is the sea beyond the vessel as it was transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Posts on X by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), though they do not name the ship, indicate that it reported an explosion 50 meters off its port quarter and that the missile attack came after an entity calling itself the Yemeni Navy had ordered the ship proceed to Yemen.

ATTACK ON ARDMORE TANKER

The attack on the Maersk Hamburg comes after U.S. Central Command reported yesterday that at approximately 0830 (Sanaa time) on December 13, in the southern Red Sea, the Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) responded to a mayday call from the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Ardmore Encounter, which was under attack from Houthi forces. These forces first attempted to board the tanker via skiffs.

“When this was unsuccessful, a pair of missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at the vessel, which both missed,” said Central Command. “While responding to the distress call, the Mason shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle also launched from Houthi-controlled areas. The UAV was heading directly towards the Mason and was shot down in self-defense. There were no injuries to personnel and no damage to any vessels. The Ardmore Encounter was able to proceed without further incident.”

The Ardmore Encounter was carrying Indian-manufactured jet fuel, heading for either Rotterdam in the Netherlands or Gavle, Sweden, media reports cite its owner Ardmore Shipping Corp as saying. The tanker was coming from Mangaluru in southern India and had an armed security crew on board (which likely accounts for why the attempt to board it from skiffs did not succeed).

SERIES OF ATTACKS

These attacks followed the December 11 Houthi missile attack on the Norwegian tanker Strinda and the earlier hijacking of the car carrier Galaxy Leader, which, along with its crew, is still being held in a Yemeni port.

The Iranian-backed Houthis claim the attacks are a response to the situation in Gaza. Some analysts believe that they are part of wider Iranian efforts to exploit that situation to Iran’s advantage.

In a threat assessment issued today, Ambrey notes that the Houthis have broadened their target profile of “Israel-affiliated” vessels. They have also mistakenly targeted vessels that were no longer associated with Israel. There has been an increased military presence in the Red Sea which has led to the interception of many missiles and UAVs, but the presence has been uneven, meaning ship hardening and protection measures remain important to mitigate the associated risks. In one of the more recent attacks, a speedboat approached at high speed and opened fire on a civilian ship. Armed guards returned fire and repelled this attack.

• Download the full Ambrey circular, including threat mitigation recommendations HERE